Jul i Folkton
OK, it's too late for the holidays, but any recording that includes
artists like Sofia Karlsson, Sara Isaksson, Ale Möller, Lisa Rydberg,
Lena Willemark, Esbjorn Hazelius, Roger Tallroth, Louise Hoffsten and
Rebecka Tornqvist is probably worth listening to any time of the year.
Together they form a Nordic "supergroup" worthy of your attention on
the hottest summer day!

Jord - Mailmale
This quartet from Tornadalen, Sweden presents their second recording
(2005) of newly-composed folk songs from the tradition, performed on
accordion, acoustic bass, guitar, flutes, percussion, and harp, with
both solo and group vocals

Dram (Ask-Upmark and Rynefors) - Dråm
Musicians Erik Ask-Upmark and Anna Rynefors are both riksspelmän and
combine ancient instruments to create new sounds with their
combination of nyckelharpa, Celtic harp with Swedish and medieval
bagpipes providing the endless dråm (drone) that gives them their name.

Kriya - Kriya
Many of you already know Pauliina Lerche's accordion experiments with
various global music sources, and her partner Peter Lerche's work on
the guitar in similar modes. Kriya (work or process in Sanskrit) is
the culmination of those explorations. The members of Kriya come from
various musical backgrounds; Finnish traditional music, rock and the
classical Indian (Hindustani) tradition. Songs are sung in Finnish and
Sanskrit. While the folk roots are stong, this music is emphatically
contemporary with strong hues of rock and jazz.

Pauliina Lerche - Malana (coming in April)
The Finnish multi-instrumentalist (vocals, accordion, kantele, violin
and deltar) creates original music, from the tradition, and combines
her strong roots with a more modern, global approach on thios 2006
release. Besides accordions and acoustic guitars, instruments featured
on the record include the vibraphone, kaval, low whistle, Estonian
bagpipes, dobro, Carnatic violin and the recording debut of the
deltar, a harp-like instrument designed by an Iraqi-born acoustics
professor. Malana is a strong follow-up to her wonderful katrilli CD
of 2004.

Ola Backstrom - Boggdansen
Ola Bäckström plays tunes from the region near his home, from Bingsjö
and Ore. Impeccable, of course!

Lennart Gybrant and Anders Norudde - Böndernas underverk (Farmers'
Miracle)
The record label says: Lennart Gybrant, passer on of tradition, and
his well-known musical companion Anders Norudde present music from
Visnum in the borderlands between Värmland and Västergötland. These
are tunes that were fashionable up until the beginning of the 20th
century, music with a special air to it and a feeling which from time
to time approaches blues. There's no limit to the different
combinations of instruments these two spelmän use. The foundation is
two fiddles, but how about slide guitar and Moraharpa, or mouthorgan
and fiddle? All performed with tongue in cheek!

Anders Svensson - Bara for ros skull (Just for fun)
The record label says: Bara för ros skull (Just for fun) presents a
traditional spelman album. However, it is full of lovely surprises.
Here Småland fiddler Anders Svensson has full freedom to expand. He is
given scope to twist and turn tunes and explore every nook in every
quaver. When Anders plays he puts playfulness and variation first and
lets the tunes flow freely. He is a musician whose music is
characterised by flow and space.

Kalle Almlof and Jonny Soling - Öst och väst (East and West)
The record label says: Two giants of folk music come together again on
record after 16 years. Kalle Almlöf from West Dalarna and Jonny Soling
from East Dalarna play music from the two river valleys. Among other
things you can enjoy several of Mockfjärd fiddler Anders Frisell's
relatively unknown polskas alongside tunes from Malung, Lima, Orsa and
Rättvik. All presented with vigour, finesse, a tremendous joy of
playing and with a unique tone shared by the two masters.

Patchwork Europe - Various Artists
Traditional music from Ireland to Mallorca, from Sicily to Norway and
from Portugal to Russia in 26 rare, historic tracks recorded between
1911 and 1954.
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